Nipple Discharge

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KEY POINTS

• Nipple discharge is fluid that comes out of your nipple. Most nipple discharge is not serious, but any discharge should be checked by your healthcare provider.
• The treatment depends on the cause. Sometimes no treatment is needed. You may need medicines or have surgery to remove a cyst.
• Follow the full course of treatment prescribed by your healthcare provider. Ask your provider how to take care of yourself at home.

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What is nipple discharge?

Nipple discharge is fluid that comes out of your nipple. Men as well as women can have nipple discharge. Most nipple discharge is not serious, but any discharge should be checked by your healthcare provider.

What is the cause?

Nipple discharge usually has a normal cause. For example

• You may have a clear, straw-colored discharge in early pregnancy.
• You may have a thin, milky discharge when you are pregnant, while you are breast-feeding, and for a while after you finish breast-feeding.
• You may have some clear or thin milky discharge when your breasts are stimulated or when you wear a poorly fitted bra, especially if you jog, do aerobics, or lift weights.

Sometimes discharge may be caused by medicines or it may be a symptom of another problem. For example:

• A whitish or greenish discharge may be caused by some medicines, such as birth control pills. It may also be caused by a hormone imbalance, thyroid disease, a tumor in the pituitary gland, or a cyst under the darkened area around the nipple.
• Discharge with pus may be caused by infection.
• Bloody discharge may be caused by a noncancerous tumor in a milk duct or by breast cancer.
• A hard blow to the chest may cause a clear, yellow, or bloody discharge. The discharge may be caused by dying fatty tissue in the breast. In this case, the dying fatty tissue will feel like a lump.
• Chemotherapy sometimes causes nipple discharge.

How is it diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and medical history and examine your breasts. The color and consistency of the discharge, as well as whether it comes from 1 or both breasts, help your healthcare provider know what is causing it.

Tests may include:

• Lab tests of the discharge
• Blood tests
• A mammogram, which is an X-ray of the breast
• Ultrasound, which uses sound waves to show pictures of the breast
• CT scan, which uses X-rays and a computer to show detailed pictures of your brain to look at your pituitary gland
• MRI, which uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to show detailed pictures of the breasts
• A biopsy, which is removal of a small sample of tissue for testing

How is it treated?

The treatment depends on the cause. Sometimes no treatment is needed. If you are pregnant, the discharge will stop soon after you deliver unless you are breast-feeding.

Possible treatments for other causes are:

• Taking medicine or stopping a medicine you have been taking
• Surgery, for example, to remove a cyst
• Radiation therapy, surgery, or chemotherapy if cancer is the cause

How can I take care of myself?

Follow the full course of treatment prescribed by your healthcare provider. Ask your provider:

• How and when you will get your test results
• How long it will take to recover
• If there are activities you should avoid and when you can return to your normal activities
• How to take care of yourself at home
• What symptoms or problems you should watch for and what to do if you have them

Make sure you know when you should come back for a checkup. Keep all appointments for provider visits or tests.